OFFICIAL 2014 WDW Marathon Countdown: WE DID IT! Congrats everyone!

[Tigger1221]

When you say you signed your dd up for a race on friday... did you have a choice? I see that there are kids races scheduled each day, but I have not signed my dd up since I don't know what day she would end up be slotted into. If there is a choice...that would make a difference.

Yes, I got to pick which day. She "ran" in the one for the TOT 10 miler and loved it!

Thanks for the advice about DHS to Epcot. I am trying to figure out where to watch DH from. I know I will be at MK and Epcot but I was trying to see if there was one more place. It doesn't really sound like it though. If it was just me I could do more but having a toddler makes it a but more challenging.

 

[cewait]

Yes, I got to pick which day. She "ran" in the one for the TOT 10 miler and loved it!

Thanks for the advice about DHS to Epcot. I am trying to figure out where to watch DH from. I know I will be at MK and Epcot but I was trying to see if there was one more place. It doesn't really sound like it though. If it was just me I could do more but having a toddler makes it a but more challenging.

MK and with toddler make it a little tough to go elsewhere. I would look at DAK, but that can be a tough commute. DH will pass you at mile 5 and the pass DAK gate at mile 13. a 10 minute pace would give you 80 minutes to get to the bus stop at DAK (the better place to watch from). A trip from MK to DAK would involve monorail to Epcot, then bus to DAK. It could be a ride to DAK and back with no sighting, but it may be worth the trip over... assuming he is a 10 minute or slower runner. If faster, then one would probably not make the connection.

 

[bumbershoot]

When you say you signed your dd up for a race on friday... did you have a choice? I see that there are kids races scheduled each day, but I have not signed my dd up since I don't know what day she would end up be slotted into. If there is a choice...that would make a difference.

Yes, there's a choice! That's how I got my son into his Mile on Friday, the day between our 5K and my Half.

When you go into registration you can see:

Thursday, January 9, 2014 - runDisney Kids Races
Friday, January 10, 2014 - runDisney Kids Races
Saturday, January 11, 2014 - runDisney Kids Races

And then I clicked into Friday for you because I think your daughter and my son should run in the Mile together :

Friday - runDisney Kids Races: 12 months and under - Diaper Dash for Crawlers
Age must be no more than 8 as of 1/10/2014. $15.00
Friday - runDisney Kids Races: 1 - 3 years old - 100 Meter Dash
Age must be between 1 and 3 as of 1/10/2014. $15.00
Friday - runDisney Kids Races: 4 - 6 years old - 200 Meter Dash
Age must be between 4 and 6 as of 1/10/2014. $15.00
Friday - runDisney Kids Races: 7 - 8 years old - 400 Meter Dash
Age must be between 7 and 8 as of 1/10/2014. $15.00
Friday - runDisney Kids Races: Mickey Mile - Open to all children 13 and under
Age must be no more than 13 as of 1/10/2014. $30.00

You should make sure that you have clothing checked to keep you warm. Even a temperate day may chill you if you are just standing around

Oh how true is that? During training for TOT I realized that I get cold with anything over 5 miles or so. Even if it's warm. An hour after meeting my family after the TOT I was putting on the running jacket they had bought me and I was still cold. Cold cold cold! I think I'm going to be checking some arctic clothing for the Half.

 

[PrincessV]

I subscribe to the latter belief. I tried the ice bath route on an eight day multiple century cycling event. It failed miserably.

+1 Not the cycling part, but the ice bath. Now, I do like an "ice" bath after long runs in the summer... but here in Fl, where the "cold" water from the tap is
80+ degrees, the ice melts almost before I can get in the tub, resulting in more of a cool bath than an ice bath, and I really think its benefit is in reducing my body temp, not muscle/joint recovery. In the winter, I'm darned chilly by the time I finish a cool-down walk and a warm bath with a cup of hot chocolate milk does my body good. I'll ice any trouble spots, but that's it. I did exactly that - warm bath, spot-icing, hot beverage - and then walked around the MK after PHM this year... I was BEAT by bedtime, but had very little residual soreness the next day.

 

[PrincessV]

Since we're talking about spectating tips...

I need suggestions for a good spot (or a couple good options from which to choose) for cheering at the marathon. Specifications:

* Must be accessible by WDW transportation and some walking
* Must have some room to spread out, as it'll be a group of us
* Must be a location of high benefit to the runners (to supply them with fuel, support, encouragement, etc.)
* Must accommodate a variety of runner speeds - we'll have runners at almost every stage of the packs.

Personally, I loved watching the marathon from DHS, but I'm sure the 9am park opening would prevent us from being there for our speedier runners.

Any favorite spots you've used as a spectator and/or enjoyed seeing your crew at as a runner?

 

[cewait]

Since we're talking about spectating tips...

I need suggestions for a good spot (or a couple good options from which to choose) for cheering at the marathon. Specifications:

* Must be accessible by WDW transportation and some walking
* Must have some room to spread out, as it'll be a group of us
* Must be a location of high benefit to the runners (to supply them with fuel, support, encouragement, etc.)
* Must accommodate a variety of runner speeds - we'll have runners at almost every stage of the packs.

Personally, I loved watching the marathon from DHS, but I'm sure the 9am park opening would prevent us from being there for our speedier runners.

Any favorite spots you've used as a spectator and/or enjoyed seeing your crew at as a runner?

A stream of thoughts follow

First, I would suggest not thinking inside the park. Besides the admission and opening issues, it’s just too busy in the parks for you the group and your runner.

Here are a few spots.
The WWoS. It can be a bear to get out there and not very spectator friendly. If you set up camp at the gate where the runners exit the WWoS (main parking lot beside Champion Field’s outfield). This is mile 19.5 ish and that is the new bite me zone starting point. The better wheelies will pass here about a quarter to 7 and the first runners 7:10-7:20. Last year runD ran busses to WWoS from Epcot. After a group photo, you could head for the first bus over.

The DHS main gate, next to the bus stops (mile 23.6) – Wishers set up camp there already and there is a nice crowd support. But as soon as you turn onto the sidewalk heading north, you lose all the support in a hurry.
DAK main gate was a great spot, but now since it is only mile 13, it is still early in the race.

I was thinking a double dip of TTC and then WWoS, but I would think it tough to get over to the WWoS for the fastest runners in the group.

 

[PrincessV]

A stream of thoughts follow

First, I would suggest not thinking inside the park. Besides the admission and opening issues, its just too busy in the parks for you the group and your runner.

Here are a few spots.
The WWoS. It can be a bear to get out there and not very spectator friendly. If you set up camp at the gate where the runners exit the WWoS (main parking lot beside Champion Fields outfield). This is mile 19.5 ish and that is the new bite me zone starting point. The better wheelies will pass here about a quarter to 7 and the first runners 7:10-7:20. Last year runD ran busses to WWoS from Epcot. After a group photo, you could head for the first bus over.

The DHS main gate, next to the bus stops (mile 23.6)  Wishers set up camp there already and there is a nice crowd support. But as soon as you turn onto the sidewalk heading north, you lose all the support in a hurry.
DAK main gate was a great spot, but now since it is only mile 13, it is still early in the race.

I was thinking a double dip of TTC and then WWoS, but I would think it tough to get over to the WWoS for the fastest runners in the group.

These are great - thanks Coach! Depending on how many of us there are, we may break up into a couple spots, so some at the halfway point and some later on might work, too.

ETA: any thoughts on the EP resort loop if we could get there?

 

[cewait]

These are great - thanks Coach! Depending on how many of us there are, we may break up into a couple spots, so some at the halfway point and some later on might work, too.

ETA: any thoughts on the EP resort loop if we could get there?

I was thinking of mentioning the BW - Yacht Club stretch but it feels crowded already. The course is really 3-4 feet too narrow along the canal and BWV so a group may create issues. Once you hit the BW sign there is a med tent so a group may blend in and not be seen there. From there it veers left and up and over the bridge between BW and Yacht - that is a gut it out area. There is a spot just after the bridge near the Yacht Club marina. The large Yacht and Beach club crowds start to pick up near the walk heading to the main doors of the Yacht and continue through the bridge on the Epcot side. You could set up in front of the marina as it can be quiet there. It’s a short 1.6 miles to the finish from there.

 

[pinkxray]

I quit...I think?

I am signed up for the full in Jan. I went into training saying I would only attempt it if training went well and I felt strong going into it. I started the Hal Hidgon Novice 1 training plan on schedule. I followed it the best I could. It all seemed to be going well until a few weeks ago.

My last long run was 10 miles on Oct 8?. We left for FL on vacation Oct 9 and I had plans to do my short runs during vacation and once I returned home pick up right where I left off. Unfortunately I got pretty sick on vacation and spent the next week/week and a half too ill to run.

After having a horrible time on vacation I told myself I was never going to FL again! I cancelled my resort reservation and told myself I was fine not doing the marathon.

Well, now I am better. I would still love to do the marathon. I find myself pricing the resort and airfare but when I look at jumping back into the Hal Higdon schedule I feel overwhelmed. It seems like jumping back into it I would be increasing my mileage too quickly.

I don't know what to do. If I don't do it this year I won't be deferring. We have plans for the next few years that will not allow any travel to Disney.

Is there any way to modify my training plan or should I just quit? I am SLOW and run/walk. I would be just trying to finish and have no time goals or anything.

Thanks for any advice. I am just having a hard time letting it go but will move on if it's a really bad idea.

 

[Diskidatheart]

My suggestion is since you've already paid for the race and can't defer due to prior obligations, go for it. Modify the Higdon Novice plan so that it fits your schedule. Perhaps your long weekend runs could look something like this.

This weekend: 11 miles
11/2/13: 12.5 miles
11/9/13: 13 miles
11/16/13: 11 miles
11/23/13: 14.5 miles
11/30/13: 16 miles
12/7/13: 13 miles
12/14/13: 17 miles
12/21/13: 18 miles
12/28/13: 12 miles
1/4/14: 6 miles

I would continue to build up miles during the week also. Maybe run Tues/Wed/Thurs starting out at 3-6-3 for a couple of weeks, then go to 4-7-4 for a couple of weeks, then 5-8-5, and get a 5-9-5 and 6-10-6 in as well, which will peak you at 40 miles the week of 12/21. I think you'd be fine as long as you take your pace slow and easy at first. Many have run a marathon with only peaking at 18 miles on their long run.

 

[roomthreeseventeen]

My suggestion is since you've already paid for the race and can't defer due to prior obligations, go for it. Modify the Higdon Novice plan so that it fits your schedule. Perhaps your long weekend runs could look something like this.

This weekend: 11 miles
11/2/13: 12.5 miles
11/9/13: 13 miles
11/16/13: 11 miles
11/23/13: 14.5 miles
11/30/13: 16 miles
12/7/13: 13 miles
12/14/13: 17 miles
12/21/13: 18 miles
12/28/13: 12 miles
1/4/14: 6 miles

I would continue to build up miles during the week also. Maybe run Tues/Wed/Thurs starting out at 3-6-3 for a couple of weeks, then go to 4-7-4 for a couple of weeks, then 5-8-5, and get a 5-9-5 and 6-10-6 in as well, which will peak you at 40 miles the week of 12/21. I think you'd be fine as long as you take your pace slow and easy at first. Many have run a marathon with only peaking at 18 miles on their long run.

This looks like a good idea to me, if you can manage it. I peaked at 40 for my first marathon. It took me forever to finish (5:50), but I got the same medal as people who finished 3 hours earlier.

 

[wdwjoe13]

We are arriving Tuesday night. Here is our plan for the week:
Wed-DHS and expo
Thursday-5k, Universal?
Friday-10k, Animal Kingdom
Saturday-1/2, Kids race, Expo, MK
Sunday-Full, Epcot, Dinner at Boma, Illuminations
Monday-Epcot
Tuesday-MK
Wednesday-Epcot
Thursday-depart

We like spending the day of the marathon walking around EPCOT. This has really reduced the soreness in the past.

Typically we get in on Thursday, but with the races moving up a day, we are getting there earlier than ever before. I am hoping the extra day or two in the parks doesn't backfire on us.

 

[roomthreeseventeen]

We are arriving Tuesday night. Here is our plan for the week:
Wed-DHS and expo
Thursday-5k, Universal?
Friday-10k, Animal Kingdom
Saturday-1/2, Kids race, Expo, MK
Sunday-Full, Epcot, Dinner at Boma, Illuminations
Monday-Epcot
Tuesday-MK
Wednesday-Epcot
Thursday-depart

We like spending the day of the marathon walking around EPCOT. This has really reduced the soreness in the past.

Typically we get in on Thursday, but with the races moving up a day, we are getting there earlier than ever before. I am hoping the extra day or two in the parks doesn't backfire on us.

We arrive Tuesday morning, and my general plan is to sit by the pool until at least after the 5k is over.

 

[megsablue]

I quit...I think?...

My last long run was 10 miles on Oct 8?. We left for FL on vacation Oct 9 and I had plans to do my short runs during vacation and once I returned home pick up right where I left off. Unfortunately I got pretty sick on vacation and spent the next week/week and a half too ill to run....

We're in the same boat here as we've been passing a pretty bad cold/flu here since the end of Sept. I think our last long run was 11 miles before we decided to fully switch to Higdon since we felt Galloway wasn't working for us. So you're definitely not alone!

My suggestion is since you've already paid for the race and can't defer due to prior obligations, go for it. Modify the Higdon Novice plan so that it fits your schedule. Perhaps your long weekend runs could look something like this....

Thank you so much for this! This definitely helps us figure out how to modify so we can get back into training. I'll look and make sure we hit the 40 miles - that sounds like a reasonable goal.

We are arriving Tuesday night. Here is our plan for the week...
We like spending the day of the marathon walking around EPCOT. This has really reduced the soreness in the past...

Our plan is very similar, though we fly in Wednesday morning. And thanks for the tip of walking around after the marathon. I'm going to add an extra day to our tickets to "force" us to have an active recovery.


I'm also trying to figure out where the best points of meetup would be. My Dad & Mom will meet up with us (they'll have our 2 year old with them) - we're staying at AKL Kidani and I'm wondering if my parents (or at least my Dad) would be able to get to around the mile 14 marker (which looks like the bus exit of Animal Kingdom)? I'm thinking it would be easy for them to hop the bus to Animal Kingdom, then go back to whatever they want to do.

Also, does anyone have an estimate of how long it would take them to get to the finish line (I don't feel like they have to actually watch us cross the finish line, just be in the vicinity) from Kidani? We will have a rental car, but I'm thinking the bus to Epcot might be faster. I know everything is delayed because of road closures, so I want to give them plenty of time.

For them to meetup with us at these places, do I need to sign them up for CheEARS?

 

[rachlovestv]

We are arriving Tuesday night. Here is our plan for the week: Wed-DHS and expo Thursday-5k, Universal? Friday-10k, Animal Kingdom Saturday-1/2, Kids race, Expo, MK Sunday-Full, Epcot, Dinner at Boma, Illuminations Monday-Epcot Tuesday-MK Wednesday-Epcot Thursday-depart We like spending the day of the marathon walking around EPCOT. This has really reduced the soreness in the past. Typically we get in on Thursday, but with the races moving up a day, we are getting there earlier than ever before. I am hoping the extra day or two in the parks doesn't backfire on us.

We're also flying in Tuesday night, and have a similar plan to you. The goal is just to hang out in the parks, without walking/running/standing much. I'm the only one running all the days, so I'll likely peel off from the group at times to relax a bit more if necessary.

Tuesday: arrive
Wednesday: Expo, Magic Kingdom, Epcot
Thursday: 5K, Animal Kingdom
Friday: 10K, Epcot
Saturday: Half, Hollywood Studios
Sunday: Full, Magic Kingdom
Monday: Check out, fly to Disneyland.

 

[cewait]

How funny is this!

In the early days of the marathon, I would come in on Thursday night or Friday morning (depending on airfare and workloads) so that we could get the expo out of the way. We would stick around until Monday so we would not have to fly home post-race. The race splits into two large races and I change my travel patterns so that I arrive on Thursday morning and start leaving on Tuesday. Now a 10k is added, a new bundling scheme created and all of a sudden, folks are travelling in on Tuesday and staying for a week or longer.

You think marketing was involved here?




Thinking further down the line, Disney used to work the calendar so that the marathon folks and the hanger-on-ners from New Years did not intermingle too much. As a result, the marathon usually would occur on January 7 at the earliest then rotate back into the teens the following year(with one exception in 02). This is way out in the future, but if the mouse continues with the calendar rollover pattern and the Dopey Challenge, folks could arrive for New Years and not head back to work post holidays until after the marathon. That means in 17 and 18 using New Years holiday and the 5 days we can roll over I would not go to work until Tuesday following the marathon. Assuming that I am still working then. 2018 is my 60th trip around the sun. I may want to play more and work less by then.

 

[WhereInFlorida]

Week 12 almost done and in the midst of a mini-taper for Lighthouse Loop half marathon, run along the ocean, catch the sunrise and lighthouse, and enjoy great weather in FL for a run.

Been looking around at some of the pace calculators in preparation and they have faster times than I anticipated based on a recent shorter race. Will probably start out at one of the conservative paces and gauge effort after mile 3ish.... http://mymarathonpace.com/Running_Calculators.html

 

[annmarieda]

How funny is this!

In the early days of the marathon, I would come in on Thursday night or Friday morning (depending on airfare and workloads) so that we could get the expo out of the way. We would stick around until Monday so we would not have to fly home post-race. The race splits into two large races and I change my travel patterns so that I arrive on Thursday morning and start leaving on Tuesday. Now a 10k is added, a new bundling scheme created and all of a sudden, folks are travelling in on Tuesday and staying for a week or longer.

You think marketing was involved here?




Thinking further down the line, Disney used to work the calendar so that the marathon folks and the hanger-on-ners from New Years did not intermingle too much. As a result, the marathon usually would occur on January 7 at the earliest then rotate back into the teens the following year(with one exception in 02). This is way out in the future, but if the mouse continues with the calendar rollover pattern and the Dopey Challenge, folks could arrive for New Years and not head back to work post holidays until after the marathon. That means in 17 and 18 using New Years holiday and the 5 days we can roll over I would not go to work until Tuesday following the marathon. Assuming that I am still working then. 2018 is my 60th trip around the sun. I may want to play more and work less by then.

Interesting thoughts! Not sure I would like to be around during the crowds for NYE, but I wouldn't mind some of the holiday decorations.

 

[DOOM1001]

Did the Miami Beach Halloween half marathon today,using it like a training run for the full Disney in January.It was a pretty interesting run,I did the ToT earlier in the month which was great with tons of people dressed up but this race had like 1/5th of the runners ToT had,probably around 2,000 but it seemed like 95% of the runners were in costume and being Miami Beach some of them were pretty out there.Also there was a last second change in the course due to construction and we ended up running about a mile plus of the race in the sand right on the beach,supposedly the hard packed sand but a lot of it wasn't too hard packed,is running a race on sand normal?But overall the temperature and breeze from the ocean made for a really nice run,I think I'm adding it to my yearly races.

 

[bumbershoot]

How funny is this!

In the early days of the marathon, I would come in on Thursday night or Friday morning (depending on airfare and workloads) so that we could get the expo out of the way. We would stick around until Monday so we would not have to fly home post-race. The race splits into two large races and I change my travel patterns so that I arrive on Thursday morning and start leaving on Tuesday. Now a 10k is added, a new bundling scheme created and all of a sudden, folks are travelling in on Tuesday and staying for a week or longer.

You think marketing was involved here?

Probably, but for me I'm spending more time there to get on eastern time. Doing the 5K then DS has a miler, then I have the Half. And of course I want to see what the post-marathon stuff is all about.

...probably around 2,000 but it seemed like 95% of the runners were in costume and being Miami Beach some of them were pretty out there.

I can only imagine!